Vivianne Miedema scored twice as Arsenal climbed to third in the Women’s Super League with an easy win over Bristol City at Twerton Park.
The Netherlands international striker got the first inside four minutes from Danielle van de Donk’s pass.
Van de Donk then got the second in first-half injury time.
Arsenal scored twice in the space of two minutes midway through the second half through Beth Mead and Miedema to complete a comfortable victory.
Mead’s strike on 63 minutes, followed quickly by Miedema’s second, lifted Arsenal from fourth above Manchester United, who lost at Brighton.
Miedema began the day as sole WSL top scorer on 15 – but she ended only level on 17 with Australia striker Sam Kerr, who got a hat-trick for Chelsea in their 6-0 hammering of Birmingham City.
Bristol City remain second bottom, still just a point above backmarkers Aston Villa, who they are due to meet in what could be the battle of the bottom two at Walsall’s Banks’s Stadium on Saturday, 24 April.
But Villa also have a chance to move off the bottom of the table by then, with a rearranged game against another of the struggling sides, at West Ham on Tuesday, 20 April.
Line-ups
Bristol City Women
Formation 4-1-4-1
- 1Baggaley
- 2BrysonSubstituted forLayzellat 69′minutes
- 29Skeels
- 3Evans
- 23Purfield
- 14PalmerSubstituted forRaffertyat 78′minutes
- 11Wellings
- 8HumphreySubstituted forMastrantonioat 65′minutes
- 7Pike
- 10Daniels
- 21HarrisonSubstituted forBissellat 69′minutes
Substitutes
- 5Rafferty
- 13Haland
- 17Bissell
- 18Collis
- 19Cook
- 25Layzell
- 26Mastrantonio
- 28Jones
Arsenal Women
Formation 4-3-3
- 18Williams
- 16MaritzSubstituted forPattenat 61′minutes
- 3Wubben-Moy
- 13WältiSubstituted forWilliamsonat 45′minutes
- 20Maier
- 7van de DonkSubstituted forGutat 61′minutes
- 10Little
- 14RoordSubstituted forMcCabeat 69′minutes
- 8Nobbs
- 11Miedema
- 19FoordSubstituted forMeadat 45′minutes
Substitutes
- 1Zinsberger
- 4Patten
- 6Williamson
- 9Mead
- 15McCabe
- 21Gut
- 29Goldie
Live Text
-
Match ends, Bristol City Women 0, Arsenal Women 4.
-
Second Half ends, Bristol City Women 0, Arsenal Women 4.
-
Foul by Beth Mead (Arsenal Women).
-
Jemma Purfield (Bristol City Women) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
-
Attempt saved. Jordan Nobbs (Arsenal Women) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Kim Little.
-
Attempt saved. Malin Gut (Arsenal Women) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Kim Little.
-
Attempt blocked. Kim Little (Arsenal Women) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Katie McCabe.
-
Offside, Arsenal Women. Kim Little tries a through ball, but Vivianne Miedema is caught offside.
-
Corner, Arsenal Women. Conceded by Sophie Baggaley.
-
Attempt saved. Vivianne Miedema (Arsenal Women) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Katie McCabe.
-
Attempt missed. Charlotte Wubben-Moy (Arsenal Women) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Katie McCabe following a corner.
-
Corner, Arsenal Women. Conceded by Emma Bissell.
-
Attempt saved. Vivianne Miedema (Arsenal Women) right footed shot from very close range is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Katie McCabe.
-
Attempt blocked. Jordan Nobbs (Arsenal Women) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
-
Attempt blocked. Jordan Nobbs (Arsenal Women) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Katie McCabe.
-
Attempt blocked. Jordan Nobbs (Arsenal Women) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Vivianne Miedema.
-
Corner, Arsenal Women. Conceded by Laura Rafferty.
-
Attempt blocked. Vivianne Miedema (Arsenal Women) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Katie McCabe.
-
Attempt saved. Charlie Wellings (Bristol City Women) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
-
Offside, Arsenal Women. Charlotte Wubben-Moy tries a through ball, but Beth Mead is caught offside.
